Category: Sports

BBC Sport NI’s Andy Gray

There’s no way of sugar coating it – losing Dan Ballard is a massive blow to Northern Ireland’s hopes of reaching a first World Cup in 40 years.

The Sunderland defender has been integral to the progress of Michael O’Neill’s young side and he has an impact in both boxes.

While he has always been a physical presence, his composure on the ball has also improved from playing Premier League football this season.

Excluding Kieran Morrison, who has only played in the cup competitions for Liverpool, losing two of his four Premier League players is awful luck for O’Neill, after Conor Bradley was sidelined with a knee injury in January.

Thankfully for NI, Ruairi McConville, who was also an injury doubt when the squad was announced, has played two sets of 90 minutes for Norwich City in the past week.

He will be an option for stepping in for Ballard and has impressed in his short international career to date, as will Oxford United’s Ciaron Brown and Bolton’s Eoin Toal.

Mikey Moore insists he has “loved every single second” of his loan spell at Rangers, with the Tottenham Hotspur forward open to a return next season “if it’s right” for the teenager.

The 18-year-old scored his sixth goal for the Ibrox club in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Danny Rohl’s side sit three points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with seven fixtures remaining.

Moore, who has made 40 appearances for Rangers, received rapturous applause when he was replaced late on.

“I feel the love from the fans in the stadium and I think they’ve taken to me really well,” he said.

“For a loan player, I think they’ve been unbelievable with me, especially with the way we started and the way I started personally.

“For them to still back me and sing my name, it’s been something special, so I’m grateful.”

Shortly after his move to Rangers, Tottenham announced an unspecified long-term contract for Moore.

The England Under-19 international has been with the London club since the age of seven.

Asked about the possibility of extending his time in Glasgow, he said: “I’ve loved every single second I’ve been here, the club is special and special to me now.

“I’m just going to enjoy the next seven games and obviously I need to speak to people back home and you never know what can happen.

“I don’t know if there’s been much club-to-club contact yet but I know that people spoke to me and the people around me, so conversations are happening.

“I’m going to speak to people and just try and find the best solution for me.

“But this has been unbelievable and if it’s right for me next year, then I’d love to stay here, but we have to see what’s going on.”

Lindsay’s assistant Neil Smith has also left, and the club has made no announcement on who will take charge of the side in the interim – they next play on Saturday at home to 16th-placed Gillingham.

Lindsay had led Crawley to promotion to League One via the play-offs in May 2024 before leaving the club the following September.

He re-joined Crawley with the club 12 points from safety in the relegation places in League One and had some initial success, with wins in his first two games.

But they lost their next three matches, and despite ending the season with three wins and a draw from their final four games, they were relegated after finishing one point and one place from safety.

Their struggles have continued this season with just six wins from 39 league games – only Sheffield Wednesday have won fewer matches in the English Football League this season.

They have drawn13 matches but have not tasted victory since 31 January, when they beat fellow strugglers Harrogate Town 2-0 at home.

When Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was recorded refusing to sign a shirt when a man approached his car after a match recently, he defended himself against a backlash by saying he felt “exposed” and claimed some fans “are not doing it for the right reasons”.

Last year, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola furiously berated a group of hunters who approached him at a car park near his home, lambasting their career choice, telling them: “Don’t come again – I won’t tell you again, I know your faces. Do you want to live your life doing this, honestly? What are your dreams?”

The sports memorabilia industry is estimated to be worth billions of pounds globally per year, underlining the wealth professional hunters can generate by regularly seeking out stars.

Clubs sometimes have to step in and protect players, including banning professional hunters from operating outside training grounds, providing security staff at nearby petrol stations where hunters know players stop to fill up their cars, and in some cases helping escort them home.

In 2023 Manchester United‘s Mason Mount was filmed telling hunters to stop following him home after they had done so on consecutive days.

And earlier this month United defender Noussair Mazraoui was recorded comically scribbling half-hearted signatures on a set of shirts given to him by a hunter who approached him at his car window after training.

“Players get really fed up with it,” says Premier League winner Chris Sutton.

“I’ve had it loads of times as a player and as a pundit. They stand outside the BBC studio and ask me to sign 12 number nine shirts all at once. I queried it recently and said ‘you’re going to flog these online, aren’t you?’

“It’s so annoying that the intention is to make money out of players and other high-profile people. It’s up to the player, manager, or has-been like myself to make a judgement call in the moment.

“If we say no, then the spurned party will often abuse the person who turned them down and out them online or publicly.

“It’s out of order as genuine autograph hunters must get fed up with these imposters who are doing it for the wrong reasons.

“These people spoil it for kids and genuine fans.”

Also on Sunday, a man was arrested on suspicion of tailgating at Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He has been bailed pending further investigation.

Those convicted of tailgating face a football banning order of up to five years, as well as a fine of up to £1,000.

The legislation has been introduced as a result of the serious disorder that marred the European Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley in July 2021, when thousands of fans forced their way into the stadium.

The new act is designed to clamp down on supporters without tickets closely following legitimate ticket-holders through turnstiles.

If Italy fail to make this World Cup, they will become the first former winners to not qualify for three tournaments in a row.

The Oxford United defender added that the home side “have more to worry about” in Bergamo.

“I think Italy will have more to worry about than us,” Spencer continued.

“We’re going into this game as the underdogs, so we’ll obviously bring the game to them and it’s down to us to perform on the night.

“As a team on the night [we can] put a lot of pressure on them, frustrate them and anything can happen as it’s a one-off game.”

Spencer has made 19 senior appearances for Northern Ireland but missed the final fixtures of their qualifying campaign through injury.

Now, the 21-year-old is eager to help the side make history and keep the dream of qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986 alive.

“My family, my uncles and my cousins say about back in the day when Northern Ireland were in the World Cup, I think it was 40 odd years ago,” he added.

“Just saying like how important it could be if we do and be able to qualify and how much that would mean to, not only the team, but the whole country.

“It would mean so much to everyone and obviously it’ll be very good.”

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Kelly Cates, Joe Hart and Danny Murphy discuss why Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is “the favourite” to be in the starting XI for England in this summer’s World Cup.

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